2003 Dodge Ram 4x4 Laramie

Hi fellow tech heads and mod'ers. I had struggled on how to put a monitor in my truck since I bought it in December. My last Carputer went into a 99 Dodge Ram and was powered with an inverter and I had my 10.4" ELO Touch screen mounted too low and just out of reach to be effective while driving. Allthough it wasn't Ideal I managed to use it without many problems for two years.

Version two was destin to succeed and Here I share with you all:

My Truck...

The Lexan Case...

Carpeted Sheet Metal Surround...

With the Cup Holder Down...

The Desktop...

The Cockpit...

Pilot's View...

ITPS outlet...

Co-Pilot's View...

I put the ITPS behiend the outlet so I can just bring the CPU inside and connect to a regulated DC supply that I picked up at Wallmart on sale. I ran an external wire from the ITPS to splice into the power button circuit so it can be disabled or bypassed if needed or used indoors.

The GPS was an old earthmate that I removed the battery compartment and re-packaged into a smaller project case that mached the look of the vehiecle (not yellow).

I use my SprintPCS phone with unlimited Vision to access the internet. They've improved thier download speed in my area at least.

Delorme Street Atlus 2003 works fine for me and I don't see a reason to upgrade to 2004 yet. I've upgraded every time they've come out with a new release and it's cost me 50 bucks a pop. I also have the Topo USA for off-roading. I like the 3-D view, it makes you feel like you're in a fighterjet.

Got all Laptop components crammed in that 1/8" Lexan box 7"x7"x3.25" along with a PW-70 and ATI Stereo TV Tuner card. I was jazzed when they started making these cards in a 1/2 height. Slim-Slot DVD/CDRW saved me space and makes DVD loading a snap. 40G 2.5" HD will store loads of movies and tunes. My co-pilots like watching the Girls Gone Wild marathons on river trips. Haven't made one in this truck yet. Can't wait though.

Of course I went MINI-ITX to keep the footprint smaller than my cupholder.

Wireless Keyboard was from my buddies at internetishop.com for like 30 bucks. A great inexpensive RF device.

USB WiFi and Bluetooth dongles makes transfers a snap to and from my home computer and IPaq.

Windows XP Home is my OS of choice. Who needs MediaCar when you can use icons and Active Desktop web objects to do anything you need. I'm an aplication designer and haven't seen the need for any front end.

I have a rear-veiw camera that I mounted in my trailer hitch cover. Sleek hidden design. 12V camera is powered by the reverse lights in the tow harness.

Headliner antenna for TV reception. I still get a lot of interferance from the unsheilded power supply in the case.

Used a microphone stand at radio shack with some mod to attach the standard video mount. Clipped it with 1/8" Lexan to the dash for stablilty. When I want to re-position it, I can with just grabbing it and putting it where I want. I had all sorts of plans on motorizing this and settled on this. Now I got spare linier slides and a stepper motor I can sell.

I'm also running Sirius Satelite radio tuner and an AUX device so that I can play the audio at digital sound. Even though this tuner doesn't support Surround Sound, I would swear that it was. What a clean sound compared to my last Carputer that was using an FM Modulator. I use the PIE steering wheel control unit to interface my steering wheel controls into the small LED transmitter in my dash right next to the head unit. I was determined not to sacrifice luxury this time around. Before I would have to start the truck, turn on the inverter, turn on the pc. Then remember to shutdown when I stopped. No more. It's all controlled by the key thanks to the ITPS Power Sequencer. When I'm at the gas station, I can keep it on by putting the truck in AUX mode after turning off the ignition.

Haven't put in the dual battery yet to save it from the crank, but it's soon. It's a 4X thing.

I considered that location. In fact, I had a prior design that was inspired by your install specifically (after visiting your website over a month ago).

I liked having a completely transportable unit. This is where I had it for testing purposes. It just turned out to be convienent for accessing the buttons, usb/firewire ports, and looking at the status LED's.

I just decided to cover it with sheet metal and leave it there since it fit perfectly under my drink holder. Let's face it, the damn thing is always down anyhow. Even in my last truck I never put it up. See how dirty it is? That's from use.

hi, im pretty interested in your 10.4". do you have any pics of your last install with you 10.4 inch? also, how many nits is it? what are the width and height of the screen? overall, besides with the size, were you happy with the screen? what is ur user id on ebay ? what is the resolution? how much are you hoping for? thanks -Ryan

Sharp LCD Panel...

Originally Posted by ryanerb

hi, im pretty interested in your 10.4". do you have any pics of your last install with you 10.4 inch? also, how many nits is it? what are the width and height of the screen? overall, besides with the size, were you happy with the screen? what is ur user id on ebay ? what is the resolution? how much are you hoping for? thanks -Ryan

It's a sharp LCD panel and I don't remember the model number right now (LQ10D367 I think). It's at my other house. 200 Nits and it doesn't use resistive touch to reduce brightness and clarity. The non-reflective security glass is actually IntelliTouch Technology.

The Controller is from my pals at EarthLCD and only supports 640X480 (the true dimensions of the panel anyhow).

It works great. I made a bezle and cabinate for it out of metal and wood. I will put up some pics when I get back to LA.

You just can't beat ELO, Sharp, and EarthLCD when building monitors. It's just not the most cost-effective solution. It never scratches. I wish they made it for smaller screens.